Projects

As genetic predisposition explains only a minor part of ageing, protein-based epigenetic mechanisms and posttranslational functional alterations receive increasing attention in ageing research. In line with this, the ProMoAge programme focuses on the innovative concept of PTMs as the driving force of ageing with the aim to specifically qualify young scientists for ageing research and to accelerate progress in this field. ProMoAge assembles researchers from the universities of Halle (MLU) and Jena (FSU) as well as from the FLI Jena and thus represents the unique opportunity to combine distinct expertise from two locations with an ageing research focus. While the MLU focuses on medical applications and molecular protein research and has established human cohorts, FSU and FLI have a track record in multiple ageing models and mechanistic approaches. MLU and FSU are nearby universities with a long-standing history of joint structural programmes, including the recently established DFG-funded German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig (http://www.idiv.de/iv.de/). The ProMoAge consortium comprises principal investigators (PIs) with proven records in research on ageing, PTMs or related topics including experts who are new in the ageing field. All PIs provide a distinct and excellent expertise in their major areas of scientific interest and are characterised by high-ranked publications and extramural funding (DFG, Deutsche Krebshilfe, BMBF, EU and other organisations).